Valentine’s Day is coming – that day when romantics all over the world do their very best to find clever ways to express their love to their Valentine with things like chocolates, hearts, roses, poetry, and surprises. As for the rest of us, well, thank goodness for Hallmark!
I just wonder… is candy and cards our best shot at expressing love to someone? I hope not, because chocolate is going to get old after awhile! God has some wonderful ideas about love that can take us beyond chocolate and cards. Now, don’t get me wrong – chocolate is good, but I think we can do better. In fact, there’s a chapter in the Bible called “The Love Chapter.” In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, God gets very specific about the value, expression, and purpose of love.
God says that love is of the utmost value. Without love, our acts are empty, our motive suspect, and our efforts wasted. He says that love is truly found in how we treat each other. God says a true expression of love is to “not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves.”* Wow! That’s a bit more than roses and poetry, isn’t it? An enduring love is going to cost you more than a heart shaped box of chocolates. Real love puts the other person’s interests before your own.
One more thing God says about love in this “Love Chapter”… an honest, enduring love is a sign that we are growing and maturing in our lives. Said another way… a sign of maturity in a person’s life is their willingness to care for a person and put their interests first. God calls that love, a love that never fails.
I encourage all you lovers out there to grab a Bible and read 1 Corinthians 13. It will make a real lover out of you!
If you would like to hear more about love and marriage, I invite you to join us for Sunday services this month.
I look forward to meeting you!
*Philippians 2:3 (NCV)
Valley Community Church is located at 25222 Wiley Canyon Road in Newhall. For more information, please call 661-259-4366 and visit www.valleycommunitychurch.com.